A lifetime
by Juliet Grace
Summary: The life and times of Thalia Grace. Everything that Thalia has been through has made her strong, but so vulnerable. Many characters deaths. Some Perlia and Percabeth among others.


**Hey guys been ages since. I posted something - so here's a little something something ;), wrote this one night at Bewerly; food there is terrible. My ham was greeny-grey *gags* didn't eat it so I'm fine. I'm currently working on two other fics, I'll post 'em when I've got some more done. Anyways enough of this chatting, the story...**

* * *

It all started with a small, mild and quick argument. One of the few that didn't end in a full force fight or a weeks on end not speaking to each other. Thalia started by pushing his shoulders, that shouldn't have made him move - even slightly. But he was caught off guard and teetered backwards but regained balance quickly.

His arm shot out; a sign of a truce.

Thalia snapped at him, she kicked his shin. His temper flared. But cooled once he saw Thalia, her coolly placed face. She pushed her hands into his torso, that's when she felt it. She felt the abs underneath his baggy t-shirt. She felt her face flushed deep red, she looked down at the ground. Percy smirked at her obvious sudden shyness and possible discomfort. He opened his mouth to speak but Thalia got there first.

"You have abs?" she pondered.

Percy snorted, "Yeah, don't so shocked."

"Whatever."

"Face it, its not a shocker!"

"Yes, but-"

"But? I'm athletic."

"Yes, but-"

"But I'm the captain of the swimming team at my school."

"Yes, but-"

"I do baseball, football and running-"

"But! You're Percy!" she cried, throwing her hands up into the air.

Percy's burrowed, his obvious puzzlement sang from his almost flawless features.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he questioned.

"Nothing." she said smally, so unlike Thalia. That little moment was the pretty much their last, the moment was dead. A couple weeks passed and Percy kissed Annabeth, they grew even closer (if that was even possible). Soon Thalia's hopes were dashed.

They started dating, serious proper dating - not just a random fling between two demigods. Everyone (apart from Thalia) thought that 'Percabeth' was adorable and ultimately inevitable. They were bound to start dating, sooner or later. Even Nico, who couldn't care less for romance, said they made a 'cute couple'.

"Cute?" Thalia spat at the boy one say while they were sat on the steps on his cabin, she was the only who didn't get chills (serious ones) from being even remotely close to it, and the two walked passed them. Percy waved, his arm wrapped tightly around Annabeth's waist, she smiled brightly at them. Thalia bit her tongue; it was all she could do to stop herself from screaming, crying and possibly killing her best friend. She faked a smile and waved back at them.

"Yeah," Nico muttered, looking at her through his saggy hair, "I supposes if your into that sort of thing?"

Thalia missed the hopeless look on his face as he looked up at her, but Annabeth didn't. She saw the look and she smiled sadly at the poor boy. It only took Thalia a couple days more till she snapped, she slapped Rachel right across the face during breakfast. The redhead was talking happily about the couple and that they had asked her to draw them a portrait of themselves. She decided seeing the happy couple - so loved up - was far too much pain that she could take.

She joined the Hunters.

She was happy, she was content. Wasn't she? She travelled around the world with Lady Artemis, saw lots of people. Met lots of people. She had almost forgot all about 'Percabeth'.

* * *

Until Percy disappeared six months later; a few months after the battle of Olympus.

And the small crack in Thalia's heart increased, but she barely noticed. She carried on as usual, she didn't have time for pain. She was used to the pain; her parents, Luke, Annabeth and Percy. She was no stranger to this feeling.

Over the course of the next few months Nico grew strangely close to an Aphrodite daughter; Rhine. The daughter of Zeus felt slightly disappointed by this but she brushed it off quickly and returned to her hunting. Percy was found months later after he vanished, after they found her 'dead' baby brother. She was happy once again.

Then he came home, with _her_. And Thalia's hopes were once again dashed. But only this time, they were destroyed. She felt the tears burn her cheeks and skin, she felt her body shake as sobs ran down her spine, she felt her heart die. But as soon as they came they left once again; Hazel, Frank, Annabeth, Leo, Piper, Jason and Percy. She watched them go and she promised herself - silently - to protect them as much as she possibly battle against Gaea was brutal, so much blood and bodies mixed together. Her friends and fellow Hunters fell. She refused to fall, as long as the seven were still breathing she would fight. She woke three days later, bones turned to cement and body numb.

She was told the terrible news; Jason died.

He died saving Piper and Leo, struck down by a giant as he tried flatten the daughter of Aphrodite. Leo had stayed with Piper with for days, not leaving her side for days. Rhine died in the battle too, Nico retreated back into the to visit Rhine herself. Thalia didn't cry, she couldn't.

As much as she tried, wished and wanted she couldn't. She couldn't bring herself to cry, she was dead inside. To make matters worse Annabeth was fatal injured _and_ Percy never left her side. It hurt but not as much as the news about her brother.

She had only found him and now he was rip from her grasp once again.

Annabeth woke a week before the funeral, the daughter of Athena was disorientated. She didn't know what to do, she just cried into Percy's arms. Thalia couldn't blame her or call her weak. That battle had left them all scarred.

* * *

The coupled eventually married, Thalia didn't cry, had two kids. A girl and boy, Thalia became their godmother. As years past. many of her old friends died. Leo died in saving a newbie Hephtues kid from a rogue forge fire, leaving Piper all alone. Thalia convinced her friend to join the Hunt, mainly so she could keep an eye on her. Everyone was growing up, growing old. While she and Piper stayed young and beautiful, Thalia nor Piper broke. Not when Nico passed away, Clarisse, Hazel and Reyna died.

When Percy fell ill, with age bearing down on him like a whip, her friend didn't have much time left. He called her to his bed side one day, it was five years after Annabeth death. And the light in his eyes had fizzled out, Thalia remembered when she envied Annabeth for putting it there now she would give anything to put it back.

She watched him, old and frail - so unlike the Percy she had once loved.

"Y'know," she started slowly, Percy's eyes stayed shut but he hummed, "When we were young-"

Thalia's voice caught. _Not know! This is not the time, I need to say this before he dies! _"I- I _loved _you."

It was a least ten minutes before he opened his eyes again, he looked at her. Light flickered slightly in his eyes. "Why didn't you say so?" his voice was raspy and Thalia felt her heart tighten. She gripped his old, worn hand tighter. He smiled. Percy watched her face, flawless and beautiful since the day he saw her. He pulled his hand from hers and pulled out Riptide, "Give it to my son; Jason."

A ring came next, "My daughter, Daphne."

He weakly pulled away his necklace from his neck, "Keep it - remember me. Never forget me."

"How could I ever forget you Keephead." she said in a watery voice. He wiped away a tear from her smooth skin. She closed her eyes and listened to his breathing. _In. Out. In. Out. In. Out. _She waited for a horrifying second for the next breath, it never came. Thalia Grace broke. She cried, not letting go of his hand.

* * *

She carried on for centuries, till all she had left of her original friends was Piper. And even she left the Hunters to live her last years in freedom and peace. She felt rather than knew that Piper died, like a bound between them snapped and another part of Thalia felt away.

Finally her days were numbered, she entered her last battle with a high, floaty spirit. Unusual for the normally heavy Thalia. Lady Artemis smiled sadly at her as she charged into battle, the girl unaware of her blinding fate. It was abnormally fast and almost unreal, Thalia almost thought she was a _God, _but the spear in her abdomen told her otherwise.

She didn't scream or cry out in pain, she sank to her knees. Completely numb. She laid there for what felt like centuries, memories floated up to the surface like air bubbles in water. It was soon night and the battle had ceased. The remaining Hunters gathered around their fallen sister and gasped and cried. They said their goodbyes, Phoebe ran off to fetch Artemis. When Artemis arrived she knelt by Thalia's side, resting a hand on her shoulder she reached for the spear but Thalia stopped her.

"No, I _want _this."

Artemis smiled sadly, her eyes moistening. "You know I could save you."

"I know."

Thalia looked up at the stars that winked grandly at her, the Hunters and Artemis left her alone. Her last moments alive. She felt the relief of tears roll down her cheeks and she smiled.

_Finally._

_Free at last._

* * *

**And I'm done, for awhile. I need to sleep and eat, so goodnight! Please reveiw I feel so alone at the moment, I really would like some reveiws. **

**Oh and I'm running out of ideas, if any of ya got any and wouldn't mind me writing them up and posting them, that be great. Just something to do over the summer hols! Eeeep! So close, btw starting my art GCSE on Monday :S scared!**

**-Dz**


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